Rotary engine



, V3 Sheets-'sheet 2. L. STONEBJ. ROTARY ENGINE.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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(NO Model.)

L. STONER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patentedfeb. 22, 1898.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

LEROYSTONER, OF CENTREVIEW, MISSOURI.

ROTARYv ENGINE.

i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 599,648, datedFebruary`22, 1898.

Application led June 18, 1897.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY STONER, of the city of Oentreview, Johnsoncounty, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, vreference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to compound steamengines; and it consists of thenovelconstruction, combination,l and arrangement of parts hereinaftershown, described, and claimed.

Figure l is a top plan View of a compound rotary steam-engineconstructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 isan end view ofthe engine shown in Fig.- 1, looking in the directionindicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view takenapproximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. -4 isa horizontal sectiontaken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transversesection taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 and looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 'is a vertical longitudinalsection taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. diagrammatic1view of' the plate, equal to a section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow, all the partsexcept the plate being removed. Fig. 8 is a view analogous to Fig. 7 andtaken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig."9 is a side elevation of one ofthe rotary slidevalves. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating thearrangement of the pistons upon the piston-shaft. Fig. 11 is a'diagrammatic View illustrating a modication.

My obj ect is to construct a compound rotary steam-engine of the typeemploying overlapping chambers and cog-wheel pistons.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, the engine rests upon thebase-plate 20, mounted in a horizontal position and having the flange21, projecting downwardly and forming the means of holding the plateelevated from the foundation, said `flange 2l extending entirely aroundthe edge of the plate. The flange 2l is reinforced by thelongitudinally-extending walls 272, extending downwardly from the plate2O equal distances apart and equal distances from the portions of theliange.

The'engine consists of four steam-cylinders Fig. 7 is a serial No.641,345. (No model.)

23, 24, 25, and`26. Each of the steam-cylinders consists of twooverlapping cylindrical chambers 27 and 28, as shown in Fig. 3. The

steam-chambers are arranged in longitudinal l steam-chambers 27 and 28are formed by the castings 3l -and 32. The castings are substantiallyalike and are attached together by the bolts 33, inserted through theflange 34 in such a. way that the steam-cylinders may be divided on ahorizont-al line by removing the bolts 33. A fiange 35 projectsoutwardly from one end of each of the castings 32, and a similar flangeprojects outwardly from the castings 31 in alinement with the flange 35,and a flange 36 projects outwardly from the opposite end of the castings32, and a similar flange projects outwardly from the opposite end of thecastings 3l in alinement with said flange 36.

A cylinder-head 37 is placed against the front end of the cylinder 23and is secured in position by means of the bolts 38, inserted throughthe flange 36 and through the cylinder-head. A cog-wheel piston 39 isplaced upon the shaft 29, and asimilar cog-wheel piston 40 is placedupon the shaft 30, the cogs of said pistons intermeshing, as shown inFig. 3. The steam-ports 41 and 42 are formed Vertically through thecastings 32 and 3l, respectively, in vertical alinement with `each otherand on a vertical line substantially half-way between the piston-shafts29 and 30, the ports being formed only in the castings composing thecylinders 23 and 26.

The cylinder-head 43 is placed against the rear end 'of the cylinder 23,and said cylinderhead is constructed as shown in Fig. 7. The opening 44is a bearing for the piston-shaft 29, and an opening 45 forms a. bearingfor the piston-shaft 30. The openings 46, 47, 48, and 49 areexhaust-ports for the waste steam and the openings 50, 5l, 52, 53, 54,55, 56, and 57 are exhaust-ports forlive steam-that is, the steam to beused in compounding.

The rotary slide-Valve 58 is placed upon the piston-shaft 29 against therear face of IOO the cylinder-head i3 and the rotary slidevalve 59 isplaced upon the piston-shaft 30 against the rear face of thecylinder-head 43, and the peripheries of said slide-valves 58 and 59 areprovided with gear-teeth, said gearteeth intermeshing. The rotaryslide-valves 53 and 59 are substantially alike and are constructed asshown in Fig. 9. An elongated segmental opening GO is formed through theweb of the valve immediately inside of its periphery and extending equalin length to substantially one-fourth of the circumference of the valve,said opening being designed to serve as a passage for the live steamwhich passes through the exhaust-ports. An oblong opening Gl is formedthrough the web of the valve a distance from one end of the opening` GOequal to substantially one-fourth of the circumference of the valve, anda similar oblong opening G2 is formed through the web of the valve anequal distance from the opposite end of the opening GO, said openings 6land 62 being designed to serve as passages for the dead steam whichpasses through the exhaust-ports. l

A cylinder-head G3 is placed against the rear faces of the slide-valves5S and 59, said cylinder-head being constructed as shown in Fig. 8. Theopening 6l serves asa bearing for the piston-shaft 29 and an opening 65serves as a bearing for the piston-shaft 30. The openings 9G, 67, GS,and G9 serve as passages for the live steam which comes through theopening GO of the slide-valve. The openings GG and G7 are inclinedslightly upwardly and toward each other as they pass backwardly throughthe cylinder-head and terminate in a single opening upon the rear sideof the cylinder-head. The openings 68 and G9 are inclined slightlydownwardly and terminate in a single opening upon the rear side of thecylinder-head. The spacing-blocks 70 are placed between thecylinder-heads 43 and 63 outside of the sliding valves 5S and 59, andthe bolts 7l are inserted through the cylinderhead 3, then through theblocks 70, and then through the cylinder-head 63, as required to holdsaid cylinder-heads firmly together, the blocks 70 being of such a sizethat the slidevalves 58 and 59 are not pinched by tightening the bolts7l.

The castings 3l and 32 are placed against the rear face of thecylinder-head G3, thus forming the cylinder 2l. A cylinder-head similarto the cylinder-head 43 is placed against the rear end of the cylinder2l. Then comes another set of the sliding valves 53 and 59. Then colnesthe cylinder 25, constructed identically like the cylinder 2l. Thencomes another set of the sliding valves 5S and 59. Then comes thecylinder 26, constructed exactly like the cylinder 23,with the exceptionthat a cylinderhead like 63 is used upon its front end instead 0f thecylinder-head 37 and a cylinder-head like the head 37 is used upon itsrear end instead of the cylinder-head 43. The cylinders 24 and 25 aresecured together in the same way that the cylinders 23 and 2l aresecured together', and the cylinders 25 and 2G are also secured togetherin the same way. The cylinders 23, 2l, 25, and 2G are secured to thebase-plate 2O by means of the legs 7 2, attached to said cylinders andto said base.

The belt-pulley 7 3 is Ilxcd upon the forward end of the piston-shaft29, and a similar beltpulley 74 is fixed upon the forward end of thepiston-shaft 30. A counter-shaft 75 is mounted above the cylinders andin a line parallel with the piston-shafts 29 and 30, and a double-facedbelt-wheel 7 (5 is fixed upon the forward end of said counter-shaft. Astraight belt 77 connects the belt-wheel 73 with one of the faces of thebelt-wheel 7 G and a crossed belt 7S connects the wheel 7i with theother face of the wheel 76.

The piston-shafts 29 and 30 rotate in opposite directions, and the belt78 is crossed in order that the combined force of said shafts 29 and 30may be communicated to the counter-shaft 75. A drivin g-pulley isattached to the rear end of the counter-shaft 7 5.

All of the cylinder-heads are formed in two pieces and divide upon thesame line as the castings 3l and 32, and the bolts 79 are insertedvertically through said cylinder-heads to hold the two pieces together.

The oil-holes 80 are formed downwardly from the upper edges of thecylinder-heads and in positions to lead oil to the piston-shafts. Thevalve-stem 31 is mounted upon the front side of the engine in a lineparallel with the counter-shaft 75 and with the piston-shafts andspur-gears S2 are mounted upon said valve-stem in mesh with the rotaryslidevalves 59, as shown in Fig. 5.

Attached to the forward end of the engine is a toothed rack S3, throughwhich the valvestem S1 extends. The teeth upon the rack S3 areconcentric to the valve-stem and dcscribe substantially two-thirds of acircle. A crank-arm Si is Iixed upon the valve-stem immediately in frontof the rack 83, and a spring-actuated dog S5 is slidingly connected tosaid crank-arm in position to engage the teeth of the rack 83. Thevalve-stem Sl is rotated by manually operatin g the crank-arm 84 and isheld in any desired position by the engagement of the dog 35 with theteeth of the rack 83.

The valve-casing S6 is mounted in transverse alinement with the cylinder23, with the valve-stein 8l extending through it, and a similar casing37 is mounted in transverse alinement with the cylinder 2G, with thevalve-stem 8l extending through it. The valve easings 8G and 87 aresubstantially alike and are constructed as shown in Fig.

The rotary valve 88 is fixed upon the valvestem 8l within thevalve-casing, and an opening S9 is formed in one Side of the valve SS.

The steam-pipe 90 leads to the T-joint 91, and one branch, 2, of saidpipe 90 leads to the top of the valve-casing, while the other branch793, leads to one side of the valve-cas- IOC ing. Apipe 94 leads from thevalve-casing to the port 41, and va similar pipe 95 leads from thevalve-casing to the port 42. When the valve 88 is in the position shownin Fig. 3, the steam is passing through the steam-pi pe 90, then throughthe branch 92, then through the pipe 94, through the steam-cylinder 23,

and the pistons are operated in the direction indicated by the arrows.When the valve 88 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the crankarm 84 isin the position shown in Fig. 2 and the rotary slide-valves 58 and 59are in the position shown in Fig. 5. The position of the valve 88 in thevalve-casing 87 is such that when the valve in the valve-casing 86 is inthe position shown in Fig. 3 the valve in the valve-casing 87 is forminga connection between the pipes 93 and 95. When the steam enters at thetop or through the pipe 94, it exhausts through the lower pipecorresponding to the pipe 95, and vice versa. Spring-actuatedpacking-plates 96 are arranged to operate in the points of the cogs ofthe pistons 39 and 40.

Referring to Fig. 10, the pistons lare arranged windinglylupon thepiston-shafts, so that there will be no dead-center. When it is desiredto reverse the engine, the crank-arm 84 is manually operated to theopposite end of the rack from the position shown in Fig. 2. Then thesteam passes through the Vpipe 93 and then through the valve and throughthe pipe 95. Assuming that the valves are in the positions shownin'Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the dead-steam exhaust-ports 46 and 47are closed, the llive-steam exhaust-ports 56, 57, 50, and 51 are opened,the dead-steam exhaust-ports 48 and 49 are opened, and the live-steamexhaust-ports 52, 53, 54, and 55 are closed. The steam passes throughthe steampipe 90, through the T-joint 91, through the branch pipe 92into the valve-casing, through the'valve 88, and then through the pipe94 to a point within the cylinder 23, where the chambers 27 and 28 meet,and at the upper side of the cylinder. The expansion-chamber is formedbetween the cogs of the pistons 39 and 40 and lforce said cogs apart,thus rotating the pistons in the directions indicated bythe arrows inFig. 3. done its work it is confinedin a pocket between the points oftwo adjacent cogs, as in the upper side of piston 40 in Fig. 3, and thesteam from this pocket exhausts through the port 50 in the cylinder-head43, then through the opening 69 in the slide-valve 59, and then throughthe port 67 to the next cylinder. When the pocket has moved a shortdistance farther, the steam may pass through the port 51 to the opening60. The steam pockets formed between the points of adjacent cogs uponthe piston 39 exhausts in the same way through the ports 56 and 57 tothe opening 60 in the slide-valve 58, and then through the port 66 tothe next cylinder. This is what I call the live-steam exhaust. The steampass- After the steam has ving through these ports into the nextcylinder again expands and exerts a force in that cylinder and thenexhausts in the same way cylinder, and when the cogs of the pistonsapproach each other this dead steam is forced to exhaust through theports 48 and 49, then through the openings 61 and 62, and then throughthe ports 68 and 69 to the next cylinder. This dead steam is of littleconse# quence and exerts but a slight resistance to the operation of theengine. wWhen the engine is reversed, as before suggested, theslide-valves 58 and 59 assume the position shown in Fig. 9. Then thelive steam vexhausts through the lower ports 52, 53, 54, and 55 and thedead steam exhausts through the upper ports 46 and 47.

Referring to Fig. 11, the slide-valves are provided with two openings60, arranged upon opposite sides of the axial center of the valve, andthe openings 61 and 62 are omitted, and the ports through thecylinder-heads are arranged accordingly. By this construction only aslight motionof the slide-valves 58 and 59 is necessary to reverse theengine, while in the preferred form described it is necessary that theslide-valves make a halfrevolution.

1. In a rotary enginea series'of steam-cylinders arranged side by side,in the meeting walls of whichare formed suitable ports, and eachcylinder having a pair of overlapping steam chambers, piston shaftsvextending through said series of steam-cylinders at the axial center ofsaid steam-chambers, intery meshing cog-wheel pistons mounted upon saidpiston shafts, and intermeshing rotating valves located between themeeting walls of the cylinders and provided with suitably-arrangedports, substantially as specified.

2. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with a series ofsteam-cylinders mounted IOO IIO

side by side, in the meeting walls of which are formed suitablesteam-ports, of the rotating interm eshing valves provided withsteamports arranged to coincide with the rstmentioned steam-ports, andmeans for-operating said valves, substantially as specified.

3. In a rotary engine, a series of steam-cylinders mounted side by side,in the meeting walls of which cylinders are formed suitable steam-ports,piston-shafts extending through said series of steam-cylinders,intermeshing pistonsV located upon said piston-shafts, intermeshingrotating valves located between the meeting walls of thesteam-cylinders, said valves being loosely located upon the piston- IZOshafts and provided with suitably-arranged steam-ports to coincide withthe previouslymentioned steam-ports., L Valve-stem arranged for rotationat one side of the Stettin-cylinders, pinions mounted upon saidvalve-stem and meshing with one of the rotating Valves, and valvescarried bythe valve-stem for controlling the inlet of steam to the firstcylinder and the outlet of steam from the last eylinder, substantiallyas specified. 1o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEROY STONER.

lVitnesses:

W. P. LATIMER, J. E. HENDRIX.

